At under $10, Cellar No. 8 Merlot 2010 is a smooth choice for parties and relaxing nights.

Written by

Holly Howell

This coming weekend will be filled with celebrations of the movie Sideways, which headlines at the newly renovated Dryden on Saturday. Pinot noir will rightly be the toast of the town, so there is little need to tout its prowess here.

Instead, I thought merlot might need a little boost since it will once again get a famous bashing. Merlot has received its fair share of bullying from wine aficionados for years. This red wine has had a very difficult time finding a decent niche in the wine world of today. So, to balance the scales, here is a well deserved shot of support from the sidelines.